July Music and Musicians Thread

[Wafflenose]

Welcome to wet July (well it's wet here) and a new thread. This is the place where we can talk about all things musical, like music lessons, exams, practice and new instruments. I am a music teacher (woodwind) and have two daughters. Goo is 10 and her first instrument is recorder, although on paper, flute has now caught up. She plays flute in NCO Under 11s, has just received the difficult bits she's meant to work on, so is finally cracking on with sorting out her piccolo. She started piano lessons at Easter and is going fast, currently playing Grade 3 pieces, and working through the Grade 2 sight reading and Dozen a Day books. Rara is 8 and far less keen - we are still currently trying to figure out what she really enjoys so that we can encourage her. But for now, she's learning the recorder and cello, and is between Grade 2 and 3 on both.

Goo did her flute exam on June 23rd, and now won't have any until at least March, or next June if I can push for that. Rara will probably do Grade 3 Recorder at Christmas. I have had a quiet exam term for my pupils - 7 altogether. 4 are already safely through (3 merits and a distinction), we are awaiting results for a Grade 6 Theory, and I have a couple of clarinettists still to go on Monday.

DS (10 years ) gave Grade-1 theory last term and scored 96/100 and would be appearing for Grade-2 Piano Practical this Winter. Practice is becoming a BIG problem here as during exams times( we have exams every 1.5 month which goes for 7 days continously, rigorous), because of other extracurricular( plays Tennis, basketball and drawing) we mostly skip piano practice for a week almost and restarting it leads to lots of resistance in practice. Now plan is to do 10 mins only during exam times but difficult as DH is very particular about sleeping time and he says no for practice after 9:30PM.
I don't know how to make him practice 45mins non-stop as otherwise 45 mins practice becomes 1.5 hours with so many gaps/tantrums in between. He says he can't play for more than 30 mins in a GO and we don't have time to sit again ( though he plans that but it never happens). He at times complains of pain in hand( while playing Hanon) and I feel helpless. any suggestion ?

mom17 the pain in the hand during Hanon is probably tension. His teacher needs to teach him relaxed wrist positions and exercises. Ii's fairly common but needs to be corrected asap.

If you want to post on the new thread about the long practice problem, Waffle has just started a september one.